1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is accessories attaching to motorcyclist's helmet for securing a microphone proximate the rider's mouth.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advent of accessories for motorcyclists, particularly in the field of supplying audio sounds to a rider, such as a radio receiver output, has come the inevitable desire for the motorcycle rider to communicate, both with a passenger who may be riding with the motorcyclist, and with other parties remote from the motorcycle. Since most motorcyclists have adopted the wearing of helmets, it is only natural that the accessories necessary for bringing audio sound to the rider, and taking the sound away from the rider should be connected with the helmet. Accordingly, motorcycle helmets may now be fitted interiorly with padding and with a headset or earphones for hearing the audio sounds. Because the helmet so encompasses the head of the motorcycle rider for safety purposes, it also provides a relatively quiet sound environment which makes possible quite good audio hearing, although, the helmets are designed so that sounds louder than the environment are also heard, such as sirens from emergency vehicles or other warning sounds.
In the past, fixtures attaching to helmets have been constructed to place a microphone at the end of a boom in front of the motorcycle rider's mouth, the other end of the boom attaching to the fixture. Full face helmets, i.e., those helmets which are constructed such as to completely surround the head, having an opening in the helmet through which one's head is inserted and an opening for viewing, do not utilize a microphone located on the end of a boom since the microphone may be mounted in that portion of the helmet immediately forward of the face. However, in 3/4 face helmet, the helmet does not surround completely the head, but the opening through which the person places their head into the helmet is connected with the opening for viewing and thus there is no portion of the helmet immediately forward of the rider's face. The 3/4 face helmets thus do require the microphone with the attached boom in order to place the microphone immediately forward of the rider's mouth.
In the prior art, mounting fixtures and accessories for attachment to a helmet have been developed which do secure a microphone boom in front of the rider's mouth, however, these microphone mounts suffer from a number of deficiencies. Firstly, some helmet microphone mounts are attached to the side of the helmet by drilling holes through the mount and through the helmet and then securing the mount to the helmet by means of rivets, bolts, nuts, or possibly a threaded plate. This method makes for a satisfactory, well secured mount, however, it suffers from the most obvious shortcoming that the helmet has been modified by having to drill holes through it, and should the microphone mount ever be removed, one or more unsightly holes will have been left in the helmet.
Other microphone mounts in the prior art clamp to the lower edge of the motorcycle helmet, however, they are so constructed that they extend substantially below the lower edge of the helmet such that when they are installed upon the helmet and the rider wearing the helmet turns his head from side to side, the microphone mount may strike the rider's shoulder which in turn causes discomfort and is a constant source of aggravation. This is especially a problem when the electrical wires, which run from the motorcycle frame to the microphone mount, attach by means of a plug mounted to the microphone mount such as to enlarge the portion of the mount residing below the helmet lip and present a still larger object for striking the helmet wearer's shoulder when his head turns.
Thus, it is obvious that there is need for helmet microphone mounting accessories which overcomes the problems of defacing the helmet at the point where the mount is attached to the helmet, and avoiding the problem of having the clamp residing substantially below the lip of the helmet so as to interfere with the comfort of the helmeted person when such person turns their head.
These and other object needs are set out in the enclosed specification of Applicant's invention.